Total births
4,802
Unisex name · since 1919
Kendell
Kendell has 4,802 recorded births since 1919 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1990 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3540
- among boys today
- 4,802
- born since 1919
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 75%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Kendell is the #3540 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 4,802 recorded since 1919.
Social Security Administration records show Kendell recorded 4,802 times among boys since 1919, holding rank #3540 nationally today, ahead of 75% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1919 to 2025.
- #3540 among boys today
- 4,802 born since 1919
- 1990s peak decade
- 75% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kendell is currently the #3540 unisex name in America, more common than 75% of boys - 4,802 born since 1919, peaking in the 1990s.
- #3540
- among boys today
- 4,802
- born since 1919
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 75%
- more common than other boys
Kendell vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3540
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 75% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Kendell was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
129 babies were named Kendell in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Kendell compares
4,802 Top 12% higher than 88% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Kendell's all-time total is 13x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kendell | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,802 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 129 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kendell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kendell splits its recorded history at 1976: 78% of all births land in the more recent half, 22% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1919 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1990 peak of 129 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kendell at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1990
Current rank
#3,540
Active since
1919
Kendell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1919–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 129
- Annual births at peak, across 107 years of records
Kendell popularity over time - girls
1,957 total births recorded since 1957 (Kendell as girls' name)
Kendell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Kendell's strongest decade.
1,040 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Kendell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 28
1920s
28 births
- 1930s 60
1930s
60 births
- 1940s 116
1940s
116 births
- 1950s 182
1950s
182 births
- 1960s 405
1960s
405 births
- 1970s
1970s
523 births
- 1980s
1980s
772 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,040 births
- 2000s
2000s
895 births
- 2010s
2010s
587 births
- 2020s 189
2020s
189 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 1,040 births (22% of all-time use).
How Kendell compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Kendell's total volume
Kendell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kendell by state
Where Kendell concentrates geographically, total births since 1919
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 453 | 9.4% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 426 | 8.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 190 | 4.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 164 | 3.4% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 80 | 1.7% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 73 | 1.5% |
| #7 | California | | 67 | 1.4% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 49 | 1.0% |
New York share of Kendell's total US births 9.4%
Even split
453 of 4,802 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 24 reporting states.
Kendell appears in 24 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kendell? ▼
4,802 babies have been named Kendell since 1919. It currently ranks #3540 among boys. The peak year was 1990 with 129 births.
When was Kendell most popular? ▼
Kendell was most popular in the 1990s decade with 1,040 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Kendell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kendell are New York (453 births), Louisiana (426 births), Texas (190 births).
Is Kendell a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Kendell is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 4,802 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,957 births.
How long has the name Kendell been used? ▼
Kendell has been recorded in Social Security data since 1919, spanning 107 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kendell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kenneth, Kent, Kenny, Kendall, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kendell's data
- Kendell's decade-level peak was the 1990s (1,040 total births); usage has since declined to 189 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Kendells (453 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kendell
Nearby Names Like Kendell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kendell
Kenneth Boy
#284 1,283,974 births
Kent Boy
#1632 69,322 births
Kenny Boy
#1356 51,931 births
Kendall Boy
#1225 35,350 births
Kendrick Boy
#478 33,557 births
Compare Kendell side by side: Kendell vs Kenneth Kendell vs Kent Kendell vs Kenny
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kendell
Sammuel #3539
2,703 births · Peak 2009
Gamaliel #3541
1,950 births · Peak 2004
Henryk #3538
450 births · Peak 2017
Davey #3542
3,346 births · Peak 1955
Welles #3537
470 births · Peak 2021
Wilfredo #3543
9,577 births · Peak 1980
Wayde #3536
2,304 births · Peak 1959
Zacharias #3544
2,074 births · Peak 2016
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1919–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kendell: #3540 Unisex Name - 4,802 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kendell. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Kendell draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.